Occidental is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma County, California, United States.

Founded in 1876, Occidental was a stop on the North Pacific Coast Railroad connecting Cazadero to the Sausalito ferry.

In return for donating right-of-way to the railroad, a local landowner named "Dutch Bill" Howards received a lifetime railway pass, and the station was named after him.

[3] The railway caused a rapid expansion of the timber industry, and by 1877 there were six sawmills in the Occidental area.

[3] Howard’s Station Cafe is a restaurant that is located at the old narrow gauge railroad stop in downtown Occidental.

[4] Occidental has a total area of 4.97 sq mi (12.9 km2), all of it land.

[5] The cooperative National Weather Service station reports that Occidental has cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers.

There were 673 housing units at an average density of 135.5 per square mile (52.3/km2), of which 68.6% were owner-occupied and 31.4% were occupied by renters.

For comparison, statewide California median per capita income in the 2010 Census was $27,885 (+22.8% from 2000).

The large number of craft breweries and wineries in the area have made Barley and Hops Tavern and Sonoma Fine Wine store in downtown Occidental local and tourist destinations.

Situated on an 80-acre ecological reserve near the Russian River, OAEC works with communities in the region to restore and build cultural and biological diversity.

Federally, Occidental is in California's 2nd congressional district, represented by Democrat Jared Huffman.